Ill start by saying thanks in advance to this forum and its members!! At 34 I caught the sailing bug on my annual Caribbean trip with a fun little Hobie wave about a year ago(so pardon my terms, i am still learning, but defn a lifetime sailor from here on out and wish I woulda done this YEARS ago!). As soon as I got back I purchased a 1987 Hobie 16 and went through the motions of bringing everything up to date. Chip at Whirlwind Sails did an excellent job on my new main/jib and keeping me in the loop through the process. I sailed through the winter on my local lake (only 2 miles from my business so it makes life easy!) and learned quickly how to right a cat in the cold water but I am continually learning how to sail.

the 16

Ok now onto the good stuff. Found a 1995 Hobie 17 (SE i think, that has been converted to a Sport? Maybe someone can look and tell me) and the gentleman gave me a GREAT deal, i learned on here what to look for...and minus a few dings on the front crossbar from improper mast hoisting, it is amazing shape. Wing mounting holes dont leak into the hull, no cracks crossbar, the bottom of the hulls have NO damage (i had to reglass the bottom of my 16 and that was no fun...thus the black hulls), dagerboards are nice and springy (he stored them in the down position!) and boat was stored undercover with comptip out of the sun and rudders removed. Reason for 2 boats? Because as much fun as the 16 is, in a the higher winds with the Whirlwind sail it is constantly flying hulls and i was always trapping and also I wanted something i could sail solo and the wings are amazing cause I get a bit lazy (maybe my tax return was better than i thought .)

First impressions from the last weekend (winds where 10-15 mph, with gusts 25), AMAZING!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!! Once i left the little cove that was protected from the wind, she took off downwind (something i wasnt used to in the 16). I was chasing down and walking past another 16 on the lake. I thought for sure without the jib it was gonna be slower. It also seem a little easier to sail, maybe b/c i didnt have to trap and the wings make nice seats/backrests?!?!? Playing with the mast rotation, downhaul and outhaul was a new learning experience too. On to the questions:

First pic of 17 (i didnt hook up the jib cause I wanted to shake down first and i defn didnt wanna be righting all day due to my inexperience).

I am assuming this is the 7:1 block setup? overkill? Seemed to work great.

A:I am assuming this is the jib 'tension' line? Once you release the roller furler this will bring the back of the jib in as needed? Again sorry if those arent the correct terms! Also, I am used to the H16 jib system which is why I am confused with this.B: How to these tracks work with the above?C: Is the righting line run properly? it is run through the dolphin striker on the front crossbar.

I am fairly certain this is supposed to have 2 small blocks and attach to the rear of the jib like the H16 setup? If not...HELP!

Mast rotator bungee? The bungee is shot, but I can replace. Please explain how this works and if it needed?

Another pic of downhaul/mast rotator. Dont mind the pinkish/red line around the rotator, i figured that out

PLEASE let me know if you see something that isnt correct and thank you for your help in advance!Just for reference

Last edited by Jbernier on Tue Apr 23, 2013 3:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I'm a brand new H17 owner myself, so glad to see someone else who's going through the same learning curve!

Yes, you have a Hobie 17SE that was converted to Sport. The boom is the giveaway. My 1990 boat is the same, but the boom was later replaced by the Sport "boomlet" (a highly desirable upgrade if you are going to sail with crew).

Yours is a custom Hobie Sport conversion, however. The standard "Sport" doesn't have a jib track - the jib blocks just attach to the front crossbar. Your jib track looks like it's designed to fit the larger Hobie 18 jib... I believe this is also known as the Hobie 17 "super jib" setup. (You'll find more info if you Google that term).

Your "jib spreader" (the metal bar that attaches to the 2 bows and to the jib furler) is also custom. The standard "Sport" has a different (somewhat flimsier looking) metal bar. That's the other giveaway.

Side story, yesterday i was out in 18+mph winds, ripping along out on the wire and all of a sudden i was tossed up and completely over the front of the leeward side hull. Before i could even gather wtf happened my friend in his 16 pulled up next to me laughing histerically (of course). The windward (port in this case) shroud snapped and the yanked me over. luckily the only thing that broke was the shroud and not me. Well, one of the battens did tear through the sail, but thats an easy fix since its a small hole. I disconnected the front stay and left the 'good' shroud connected so the mast and sail didnt disappear to the bottom of the lake, yanked the mast onto the tramp and prepared for a tow from a hero of a sailor in his boat equipped with a motor. Needless to say i just purchased new shrouds.

Last edited by Jbernier on Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Welcome to H17 sailing. I sailed a H16 (mostly solo) for 20 years before getting a 2000 H17Sport in 2002. The H17 loves high wind and does very well in a breeze. I too use a 7:1 mainsheet system with a 49 ft 3/8 sheet, and in a blow is definately not overkill. Other modifications include, 8:1 downhaul (this is overkill, 6:1 would be sufficiant), integrated tracks for jib and main (I replaced both cross beams, more about that later), WhirlWind SuperR Square top sail and jib, 5" ports with BottlePorts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctJODgd4YLw&feature=player_embedded(nice feature for drinking while sailing) and 5/32" shrouds (1/8" is standard) replaced every 5 years.

Now the bad news - Cross beams - Since 2002 I've replaced the front cross beam 3 times (the last -under warrenty- after only one season) and the rear once due to cracks. http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=100804I check the tightness of the beam bolts and tighten the tramp regulary. Note: I do sail hard, usually in moderately high winds (8 - 25 knots) and waves 1 - 5 ft, 40+ days a season so this may be a unique issue. On the plus side, both the front and rear corssbeams now come with integrated tracks. This cleans up the rear crossbar (no external track) and allows for a track system to be used for the jib (see pict of my mod)http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=61752

Your jib looks like the Murrays Marine upgrade kit I had on my H17. I never used it so I sold it. Not class legal for racing. I thought I would eventually convert the H17 to a kite rig and use the parts for that but never did. My spreader was a lenght of boom extrusion which is different than what is in your photo. If you need the manual for the Murrays Marine Jib kit, the parts guys at Murrays were able to email the instructions as an attachment.

It looks like you are not using the downhaul system, the two cam blocks on either side of the base of the mast, that someone installed. Its a very necessary system to power and de power the H17. There may be instructions online on how to thread the line through the downhaul. Someone on the forums may have a guide. I can photo mine if you need.

Thank you for all the advice! Time on the water has defn been the best teacher with the boat. Luckily im only 2 miles away from the boat ramp and i've gotten to the point i can have it in the water with sails up leaving shore in just under 30 min. Ive also started using the jib and it really helps in the lighter wind conditions, though im still confused on how the jib traveler tracks on the side affect the wind flow on the leeward side of the sail.

Ive read about the crossbeams, luckily these are in good shape. I will defn take note to watch the beam bolt tension. Unfortunately the previous owner put bungee (ugh) on the tramp. Next mod after new battens (had 2 snap on me when the shroud broke, so Im using old 16 ones cut down for now) will be a nylon tramp and REAL rope.

It is defn WAY different than the 16, i swear all you need to do on the 16 is tighten jib, grab the wire, and start yanking on the main sheet...viola your moving along and flying the hull.

Im also amazed how moving you body weight just about forward of the shroud will get you going a lot quicker in light winds.

I am beginning to realize that flying the hull isnt really fast (new sailor alert! lol), just fun. The wings literally stop you dead in your tracks if you are not careful on the 17.

Not really but I plan on it! The boat feels naked without them! <3 my backrests.

It'll be fun with a harness on without the wings, probably just as fun with the wings. Only logical difference I can think of is weight and comfort, but my preference is to always have the wings on while sailing.

though im still confused on how the jib traveler tracks on the side affect the wind flow on the leeward side of the sail.

The tracks along the sides (similiar to the H18) vs along the front cross beam (standard H17Sport Jib) is due to the larger size of the 'Super Jib' relative to the standard H17Sport Jib. The track allows you to control the slot between the jib and main sail. If the slot is optomized the wind will be pulled faster between the two sails and you will go faster. If the slot is too wide or narrow, slower. As you travel out the main also travel back the jib and visa versa. P.S. I'd never go out without the wings, backrest, increased leverage and in extreme conditions safety rails (they have kept me on the boat on more than one occasion).